Abstract:

THE GAS PENETRANT PROCESS IS FUNDAMENTALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE POTENTIAL ABILITY TO DETERMINE SURFACE ANOMALITIES BY THE VARIATIONS IN GAS ABSORPTION AT THESE ANOMALITIES. THIS PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON TWO TURBINE ENGINE AREAS, LOW CYCLE FATIGUE AND TURBINE BLADE COATINGS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE INTIMATELY RELATED TO SURFACE BEHAVIOR THERMODYNAMICS. THE LOW CYCLE FATIGUE EFFORT IS DIRECTED TO DEVELOPING A SURFACE CONDITIONING MODEL THAT WILL ASSURE RELIABLE LCF CRACK DETECTION AT A SURFACE. THE COATINGS EFFORT IS DIRECTED TO DERIVING A WHOLE FIELD TURBINE BLADE COATING INSPECTION PROCESS.